Improvement in lubricators



H-QALLTONL Lu bricator.

Patented June18, 1s7s.

INVENTOR 2 WITNESSES 2 /PETERS, PHOTO-LITMOGRAPHER. WASnmgTON. D C.

[UNITED STATES 5 PATENT OFFICE HIRAM ALLTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

IMPROVEM ENT IN LUBRICATO RS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,874, dated June 18,1878; application filed November 14, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM ALLTON, of O0 lumbus, in the county ofFranklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators for Steam-Engines and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw-; in gs, andto letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The invention relates to a feeder for deliving a fixed and certainquantity of oil from the oil cup or reservoir to a steam-pipe, fromwhich it is conveyed to the main valves of the engine under the pressureof live steam.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efl'ective devicefor delivering the oil in measured quantities from the reservoir to theconnecting steam-pipe whenever it is desired to oil the valves.

My invention consists in constructing a sliding feeder placed within asteam-chest, said feeder having a cavity or small measuringchamber inits face and sliding on a plate, which has two ports, one communicatingwith the oil cup or reservoir, and the other with a steam-pipe leadingto the main valves. The plate also has a channel or groove cut in itsface, which forms a communication between the steam-chest outside of thesliding feeder and the measuring-chamber of the feeder when the saidchamber is placed over the port communicating with the main valves ofthe engines. In this position the steam passes through themeasuring-chamber, and carries with it to the main valves the oilcontained in the same. When the position of the feeder is changed, andthe measuring-chamber is over the port leading to the oil-reservoir, itis shut off from communication with the steam-chest which surrounds it.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section through the oil-reservoir,feeder, and steam-chest. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lubricator,with the steam-chest and feeder removed. Fig. 3 is a View of the face ofthe feeder and steam-chest; and Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views ofthe feeder and spindle for operating the same.

The plate a has two ports, I) and c, the first communicating, by apassage, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2,) with theoil-reservoir d; the second with the steam-pipe c, which leads to thevalve-chest of the main valves.

The ports are preferably arranged as narrow angular openings, formingportions of the sides of a rhomb, and the channel f, cut in the face ofthe plate a, is an extension of one side of the rhomb, of which aportion of the port 0 is a part. The channel f extends some distanceoutside of the rhomb, which would be formed by the continuation of thelines of the ports b and 0, so that a portion of it will be clear of thefeeder g when the measuring-chamber I0 is over the port c, and thechannel f is entirely covered by the face of the feeder y when thechamber is is over the port I).

It is evident that the arrangement and shape of the ports I) and c andchannel f may be varied without deviating from the principle of theinvention.

The feeder 9 slides on the plate a, and is held against it by the springh, the center of which bears against the back of the feeder, and theends against the front of the steam-chest m. The steam-chest m is boltedto the plate a, and a steam-pipe from the boiler is attached to the pipen. The spindle 0, for operating the feeder, passes through the side ofthe steamchest. It has the hand-wheel p and the screw q, with properpacking to make it steam-tight. The contracted portion 0 of the spindlerests in the notch r in the back of the feeder, and the shoulders s sbear against the sides of the feeder. A few turns of the hand-wheel pshifts the feeder from communication with the port b to the port 0, andthe oil contained in cha n her I: is carried by the steam, which,entering through the pipe at to the steam-chest m, passes through thechannel f into the measuringchamber is and out through the port 0 andsteam-pipe e to the main valves of the engine.

After each use of the lubricator the handwheel 19 should be turned back,so that the feeder stands over the port to the main oilreservoir. Asmall quantity of steam will be carried back each time by the chamber k,which will pass up into the oil-cup and condense.

With this lubricator the small safety or check valve, which is generallyused where the oilpipe is coupled to the engines steam-chest cover tokeep the strain of the steam from the oil-cup, should be slightlymodified. It should have a flange placed on the top of the stem,

and the steam-surface of the top flange should be slightly in excess ofthat of the lower flange, so as to give the steam through the oil-cupthe most power. This check-valve will then close up when the feeder isnot in use.

There is no time when the pressure of steam against the face of thefeeder will be greater than that used over the feeder. Usually thepressure over the feeder will be the strongest, and they will be equalonly when the engine works on full throttle. Alight spring, h, strongenough to keep it from leaking oil when there is no pressure of steam onthe feeder, is all that is necessary to hold the feeder against theplate a.

I am aware of thefact that engine-lubricators which employ the steam toconvey the oil to the working parts of the engine have been used before,and I do not claim, broadly, the idea of thus conveying the oil as myinvention but What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The sliding feeder g, having the measuring-chamber 7c, in combinationwith the plate a, provided with the ports b and 0 and channel f,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the steam-chest m, having steam-pipe a, plate a,with ports b and 0,"and channel f, oil-reservoir d, and sliding feederg, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the sliding feeder g, steam-chest m, spring h, andoperating-spindle with the plate (1, having the ports b and c, andchannel f, substantially as described, and for the PUIPOSB set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM ALLTQN. Witnesses:

G. N. LILLEY, J. WADE GARDNER.

